Happy Birthday Mr. President.

It's Presidents Day, or should we say President's Day?  It depends on where you are.  The federal holiday was originally established to commemorate the birthday of George Washington, but like all these days it has been diluted from its origin and migrated to fit a different need.  George Washington was born February 22nd.

Poster circa 1890.

It is George Washington who established the precedent that he be referred to as "Mr. President", foregoing anything that smacked of royalty.  He was the original action hero.  The Journal of the American Revolution has a wonderful post about the General up this morning The Carefree and Kindhearted General Washington.

Happy birthday to George Washington, soldier, statesman, leader and father of our country.

Monday Monday

Monday Monday.  The National Weather Service has forecast a "Hyrdologic" Event for today.  Meaning it is a rainy Monday morning here in the Tualatin River Valley.

We should start with history. . .December 7th, 1941, a day which will live in infamy. . .Nothing on Oregonlive.com front page.  Timbers-Timbers-Timbers!  It is some sports team.  Remember Pearl Harbor was the cry.  Almost gone are the generation that fought that war to keep the world free from socialist totalitarians and their minions.  America is a different country from the one they came home to, worked hard and built up.  Different.  Some would say unrecognizable to that generation.  Better, worse?  I will simply say different.

I have heard last week the DoD opened all MOS to women.  Terminal Lance has a greeting for you, welcome to the suck ladies.

See Something, Say Something. . .

"What can I do" is the question people might ask.  I say might, because many go through life in a state of normalcy bias, without seeing much of what is seen or unseen.  But the question remains.  See Something, Say Something simply did not apply in this San Bernardino action. Why? Societal castration?  Perhaps, more likely cognitive dissonance resulting from normalcy bias.

From our friends at WikiPedia:
"People with a normalcy bias have difficulties reacting to something they have not experienced before. People also tend to interpret warnings in the most optimistic way possible, seizing on any ambiguities to infer a less serious situation."

Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance focuses on how humans strive for internal consistency. An individual who experiences inconsistency (dissonance) tends to become psychologically uncomfortable, and is motivated to try to reduce this dissonance—as well as actively avoid situations and information likely to increase it

See Something, and then subconsciously say no I didn't see that.  In that state there is nothing that person can do.  Is there?

Jihad is agile

Yes it is, and that is why it is succeeding.  A lovely thought isn't it?  John Robb wrote about it earlier in the year with a post titled "The Open Jihad" over at Global Guerrillas.  I know, I know, it is a linking, but this is important information o learn, know and act upon.

Does any of this sound familiar?.

1. tinkering with tactics, strategies, and technologies that can be used to advance the team;s goal.
2. testing the efficacy of these innovations by using them in production.
3. copying the innovations that work. 

Read John Robb's post, then compare the methods described to your development process.

On this date in 1947. . .

Paris and America.

So many things have been said about Paris and the attack on November 13th.  Most have been disappointing.  The thing of it is we should not be looking for "Them" to be sneaking in during the dead of night, "Them" are already here and have been for quite some time now.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November. . .

Remember, Remember the 5th of November, the gunpowder and treason plot.  Guy Fawkes Day!

Have you heard about this Million Mask March?  Anti-Capitalists in $750 designer jackets. . .

The scene from V for Vendetta.